1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to systems for facilitating electronic messages over interconnected computer networks, and more particularly, a system for coordinating and delivering electronic mail messages directly to a novel device for sending and receiving electronic mail messages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As more and more people have access to computers providing for electronic mail messaging capabilities via the internet or internal networks, electronic mail messages, commonly referred to as e-mail messages, are becoming an integral part of modern communication. The delivery of an e-mail message occurs virtually instantaneously and the recipient of an e-mail message can reply to the message within minutes of the receipt.
However, for the situation where a user is connected via a phone line to the network, special problems exist. In this scenario, e-mail communication requires certain hardware and software combination in order for the user to send and receive e-mail messages. Generally speaking, for connection to the internet via a phone line to a network server, the necessary hardware includes a computer and a communication device such as a modem. Software wise, a mail program for the sending and receiving of e-mail messages is needed. Additionally, there may be a monthly subscriber charge for connect time to the server imposed by a internet service provider if the user is not connected via a prepaid network. Overall, economically speaking, it can be a significant investment to have a computer set up for the sending and receiving of e-mail messages. Moreover, the necessary hardware and software are fairly complex and may be difficult to set up by a novice user. These barriers bar majority of people from communicating with e-mail messages.
Even if a user has a complete computer system setup for the sending and receiving of e-mail messages, there are problems with receiving the messages in a timely manner, with power consumption, and with security risks.
In order to receive e-mail messages in a timely manner, a user must either manually and periodically dial into a network server or program the computer to automatically and periodically dial into the server to check and retrieve new mail messages. The manual method is a time consuming and tedious process that distracts the user from productive use of his or her time. The automatic method requires that the computer be left on all of the time which wastes power and may incur telephone toll charges every time the computer calls the server. If the network server is programmed to call and deliver a new message to the user's computer upon receiving it, the user's computer must be left on all the time which again wastes power.
Moreover, whenever a computer is left on, there is a risk of security breach where there might be unauthorized access to the computer via either the phone line or from the keyboard by an unauthorized person and thereby compromising the user's computer system.
All in all, the above described factors prevents e-mail messages from being delivered to every household. Thus, a new e-mail system and a low cost device are needed to provide an universal e-mail messaging system capable of sending and receiving e-mail messages from and to every household.